Rome Legal Issues Blog

What are some mistakes doctors make when treating patients?

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

When a doctor is treating a patient, they have a duty to provide medical care that meets the standard of care accepted by the medical community. In an ideal world, every doctor would meet this standard and would go above and beyond to make sure their patients' needs are met. Unfortunately, in the real world, some physicians do not exercise the best judgment when it comes to treating their patients. As a result, doctors make mistakes, some of which lead to permanent injury and even death.

One of the most common medical mistakes made occurs in the diagnostic stage before treatment even begins. Doctors are required to carefully review all symptoms, come up with a list of possible causes for these symptoms, and eliminate possibilities by administering medical tests. A doctor's failure to consider a condition, failure to administer appropriate test, failure to diagnose, delaying diagnosis, or misdiagnosis of a condition can all constitute medical mistakes if a reasonable doctor in the same circumstances would have acted differently. Doctors may also prescribe the wrong treatment, which is typically the result of a misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis.

A car accident can lead to PTSD

On behalf of The Finnell Firm on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.

When you think of the causes of PTSD, what do you think of? For many, they think about soldiers having flashbacks to something that happened in a combat zone. Or they think of police officers not being able to shake the feeling of unease after a partner passes away on the job. They think of people in dangerous professions who put their lives on the line.

These are common causes of PTSD, but do not assume you can't get it if you have a "safe" job. You definitely can. Anyone can. After all, one of the leading causes of PTSD is getting into a car accident.

U.S. pedestrians and cyclist traffic deaths on the rise

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Friday, November 8, 2019.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of traffic fatalities dropped 2.4 percent from 2017 to 2018 and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is at its lowest since 2014. However, these numbers only apply to drivers and vehicle passengers, not cyclists and pedestrians. In fact, the number of pedestrians killed in 2018 increased 3.4 percent from 2017, and the number of cyclist fatalities over the same time period increased a whopping 6.3 percent.

While new vehicles often come with safety features, including automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, these features may not necessarily lower the number of motor vehicle accidents. The American Automobile Association tested these features and found that vehicles with detection systems still struck dummy pedestrians 60 percent of the time during daylight hours. The AAA also found the detection systems were, for the most part, useless after dark.

OSHA investigates Ga. plant with history of injuries and deaths

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, October 31, 2019.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is responsible for implementing safety regulations and conducting inspections to ensure that employers are keeping their work sites safe. Even a single OSHA violation can create a hazard in the workplace that leads to a devastating accident. If you or a loved one have been injured in a workplace accident, an attorney can help you file a workers' compensation claim.

OSHA is reportedly conducting an investigation following a fatal accident involving a 59-year-old worker at a manufacturing plant in South Macon. The worker apparently died in October when a robotic arm knocked him onto a conveyer belt, causing him to be crushed by pallets.

Number of traffic deaths drop, but pedestrian deaths soar

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Friday, October 25, 2019.

According to a recent final report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, the number of fatalities on the countries road dropped by almost 2.5% in 2018, down to just over 36,500 deaths.

This is the second consecutive year that the number of fatalities dropped, as 2018 saw over 900 fewer deaths than did 2017. Perhaps more impressively, the overall fatality rate dropped by well over 3% to 1.13 death per 100 million miles traveled. This suggests that even though people are traveling more in the ongoing stable economic conditions, fewer deaths are occurring.

The potential hazards of vaping products

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Medical Product Liability on Thursday, October 17, 2019.

A previous post on this blog talked about the recent wave of lawsuits against Juul Labs. As that post explained, Juul Labs is the most famous manufacturer of electronic cigarettes, which are a form of vaping device.

As the name implies, vaping was originally supposed to be a safer medical alternative to conventional smoking. A person trying to quit could use a vaping device to inhale flavored smoke that contained nicotine but not the other toxic chemicals associated with conventional cigarettes.

2 main categories for birth defects

On behalf of The Finnell Firm on Tuesday, October 15, 2019.

When a newborn has a birth defect, it is not just a life-changing issue for the child, but also for the parents. Many children need surgery and other extensive types of medical care to correct these defects. Doctors cannot correct some defects and the children will live with the ramifications for their entire lives.

Either way, the process can get very expensive, and it is also stressful and emotionally draining for the parents. It is important to learn all you can about birth defects if you find yourself in this position. Let's start by exploring the two main categories that medical professionals use.

What is aspiration?

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Medical Malpractice on Friday, October 11, 2019.

Many Georgia residents being treated in hospitals, particularly in intensive care, are at risk for a medical condition called aspiration. Aspiration can affect any seriously ill patient, but those who are being fed through a tube are particularly prone to it.

In reality, many residents of Rome have probably experienced a mild form of aspiration when they swallow water too quickly and it goes down the wrong pipe. In other words, aspiration involves the accidental inhalation of saliva or other fluids into the lungs.

Lawsuits mounting against famous e-cig maker

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Medical Product Liability on Friday, October 4, 2019.

A teenager from another state has joined alleged victims from all over the country in a series of litigation against Juul Labs, the most famous maker of electronic cigarettes.

As many residents of Georgia probably know, Juuling has become a popular forbidden pleasure among young people both in the Rome area and throughout the country.

Proposal may lift longstanding bar to med mal suits

On behalf of The Finnell Firm posted in Medical Malpractice on Friday, September 27, 2019.

For well over 50 years, the law of the land has been that military members who get treatment at the hands of military doctors or at military hospitals cannot turn around and sue their caregivers for medical malpractice.

However, a bipartisan measure aims to change this precedent, a precedent which is based on rulings of the federal courts, including an old decision of the United States Supreme Court.